Cauchemar
by still burning bridges
Summary: Beyond the barricade, is there a world you long to see? In which Eponine and Enjolras finally get their happy ending.


Enjolras wakes slowly, despite the ear-splitting screams that seem to be coming from outside his closed bedroom door. After a couple seconds of grogginess, he shoots up ramrod straight in bed, completely alert. Enjolras doesn't bother shrugging on a shirt before he goes to investigate the noise, leaving his room in only a pair of pajama pants. He quickly discovers Eponine curled up into a tight little ball on his couch, alternating between gritting her teeth together and screaming. His eyes widen, and he swoops down to grip her hand. "Eponine," he mutters lowly, gently shaking her shoulder. "Eponine, wake up, it's just a dream, you're okay -" The girl on the couch in front of him screams once more before her eyes open and she gasps raggedly, nails digging into Enjolras' hand. Her eyes dart around in panic and she suddenly retracts her hand from his, curling into herself with a whimper. She stays like that for a few seconds; eyes squeezed tightly shut, knees drawn up to her chest, the occasional whimper escaping her throat. She's shaking hard, fingers wrapped snug in the blanket. After a moment, however, she opens her eyes to Enjolras' concerned face close to hers, and she gasps softly as she realizes what happened. "_Monsieur, _I am so sorry - I was in the middle of a nightmare, I shouldn't have - i'm so sorry, please forgive me, _monsieur, _I'll leave now, just -" She's scrambling to get up from the couch, her feet becoming tangled in the blanket, and she falls to the ground with a loud _thud. _ "Eponine - calm down, _mademoiselle, _I'm not angry - please, Eponine, wait!" His hand shoots out to grasp hers as she quickly stands back up and darts for the door. "Wait. What was the nightmare about that caused you so much distress?" Eponine releases a trembling sigh. "It's not important, _monsieur,_ I assure you," she mumbles, looking anywhere but Enjolras. "It's important," is all he says, staring hard at her eyes. "I want to know. Tell me." Unable to resist the temptation of being able to talk to somebody - even the marble man, the fearless - and emotionless - leader of the Les Amis, she slowly sits back down on the couch where she had slept last night after a Les Amis meeting ran very late and she didn't want to go home - she'd been planning on sleeping in the streets, not much of a change from her typical sleeping arrangements, but Enjolras had offered his couch to her for the night. "Are you sure you want to know? It's not a pretty story," she mutters. "If it's causing you to scream out in the middle of the night then I imagine it isn't. Tell me." Eponine bites her lip as if unsure she should tell, but eventually the temptation of being able to vent wins. "My family…they're not nice people. You may have heard of them - the Thenardiers? Thieving, shameless con-artists? That's my dad and his gang." She waits for him to scoff and demand that she leave his home at once. She waits for him to slap her and berate her for thinking that he would be interested in hearing the story of a criminal. Enjolras says nothing; simply listens and waits. "My father is not a good man. He steals, he tricks, he lies, he cheats - he's mugged or even killed people to get to their money. Funny how the man who wants most to be rich lives on the street and has to steal scraps of food to survive," she laughs blackly. "They kicked my little brother out awhile ago - Gavroche is probably better off without them. "I'm their main source of money - Azelma's too loud to be sneaky, but they have her do most of the begging because she's, in their words, _'the most unfortunate looking of us.' _So they have me help them steal, and send me out to work the streets - if i don't have enough money by the end of the night, my father beats me and sends me off to Montparnasse, who has his way with me and leaves a couple francs on his way out." Enjolras makes a conscious effort to keep the sympathy and anger off his face - he gets the feeling her pride won't be able to accept pity - but the tiniest of growls escapes his mouth. This is what he's fighting for - people like Eponine. "I didn't come home last night, so my father'll probably beat me half to death when I get home. If i leave now it won't be as bad - " And she's up again, thanking him before moving towards the door. Before Enjolras has time to react, she's gone. Eponine is his Patria, all that he fights for in his revolution. He finds himself staring after her even once she's gone, and smile cracks his marble facade. Eponine, Marius' shadow… The next time he sees her, she's dying in Marius Pontmercy's arms. When Gavroche dies, Enjolras remembers what Eponine said about the little boy being her brother. The guilt is overwhelming. Beyond the barricade, is there a world you long to see? When they find each other on the barricade in heaven, it feels like a beginning.


End file.
